Chapter 12 - 12 12 April 13 Ecliptic Change Day

Words : 2180 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

12: Chapter 12 April 13 Ecliptic Change Day 12: Chapter 12 April 13 Ecliptic Change Day “A tough problem is thrown at me, a huge life decision lies before me. Can I have some time to digest it?” Chang Ye laughed: “Of course! You still have the opportunity to change your mind before you step into the civil service examination venue.” “Have a cup of tea. This tea is Tashan Tea. It’s not well-known, and the handmade production isn’t pretty, but it smells really good...” Lin Xiaosu raised his tea cup in hand, toasting to Chang Ye. Chang Ye sipped the tea lightly, her gaze turning to the silent village outside. At this time, although the small village was quiet, it was also lit by a hundred household lights. Chang Ye said, “There are quite a lot of people in your small village.” “This is probably the advantage of a suburban village. Suburban villages can provide some work to support people. Rural people actually don’t need much, as long as they can survive. Nobody would want to run outside, but other villages below are different. The young people must go out to work. On ordinary days, other than three old men and a dog, you probably won’t see anyone else. This is the helplessness of life, the home cannot accommodate the flesh, and the foreign land cannot settle the soul...” “The home cannot accommodate the flesh, the foreign land cannot settle the soul... That’s profound!” Chang Ye’s gaze slowly turned back: “So over the next week, you will keep struggling, wondering whether your life is about settling the flesh or settling the soul, right?” Lin Xiaosu smiled slightly: “There is a question I have been wanting to ask you.” “Ask away.” “The weather is getting warmer, do you feel uncomfortable wrapped in a layer of human skin from head to toe?” Chang Ye stared at him, her eyes gleaming. Lin Xiaosu looked at her, very calm. Chang Ye let out a light sigh: “Walking in the outside world, you are the first to notice the human skin on me.” “If I hadn’t noticed, would you have been disappointed? After all, I’m different from others, and the only thing I use to eat is these eyes.” “Indeed!” Chang Ye said: “It’s not that I intentionally hide my true appearance; I have no choice but to do so. I am a poison man. If I didn’t wear this skin and you accidentally touched my skin, you would die.” Lin Xiaosu’s heart skipped a beat: “Is this the other side of Genetic Transformation, right?” “Yes, Genetic Transformation breaks the natural Law, you gain something and you definitely lose something...” “Little Su...” Downstairs came the call of mom. Chang Ye lowered her voice: “Your mom?” Lin Xiaosu nodded lightly. “Should I slip away?” “Slip away? She’s already at the door, where are you going to slip to?” “What should we do?” Chang Ye was anxious, glancing at the window. There were iron bars outside the window, not suitable for climbing out. “Just say you’re my classmate.” “What if she misunderstands and thinks I’m your girlfriend and gives me a red packet of ten thousand and one yuan?” “You wish, she gave me ten thousand yuan last time, you still want to take it back?” Lin Xiaosu gave her a sideways glance and opened the door. As the door opened, mom’s eyes widened at the doorway. Never expected, hiding a beauty in the golden house! And not just any beauty, but one with a face and figure that’s hot... “Hello aunty, I’m Little Su’s classmate, I heard he is taking the civil servant exam, so I came to visit...” Chang Ye smiled sweetly. Mom’s face was swept by fleeting Clouds, blooming into colorful twilight glow: “That’s really nice, you haven’t had dinner yet have you? I’ll cook for you both, you two chat, you chat...” She happily exited the room, and thoughtfully closed the door from outside. Soon, Lin Xiaosu’s phone received a text message notification. Chang Ye glanced over and saw the text from mom: Should I give the girl a red packet? “Yes, yes! Ten thousand and one, ‘picking one from ten thousand’ is a good omen!” Chang Ye said. “Your stingy demeanor really brings down the class, aren’t you afraid it’ll affect my choice?” Lin Xiaosu glared at her and replied in front of her with two words: No need! Believe it or not, this little farce actually brought them closer. Qianlong, this mysteriously high-end organization, seemed to suddenly have a bit of warmth. This might just be Chang Ye’s true intention. The next moment, Chang Ye and Lin Xiaosu went downstairs, mom lingered for a long time, Chang Ye insisted on returning to the city, mom even asked Lin Xiaosu to see her off. Chang Ye told her that she drove here, the car was parked at the turn of the highway, Lin Xiaosu walked her to that corner, Chang Ye gave him a light smile, pointed her toes, climbed up the tree, a spring from the branches, and she disappeared without a trace. This was her second time revealing her abilities in front of Lin Xiaosu. Truly thrilling, maybe she was telling him in this way, come on, our group is full of excitement... The next day, April 13. The sunset in the west, Old Tashan Village’s cowbells tinkling, clear and melodious. Lin Xiaosu walked up the mountain path, listening to the rooster crows and dog barks of human life, feeling somewhat moved. The rural life spoken of by his parents, in his perception, has already changed. The familiar rooster crows and dog barks of generations have become a luxury in the modern countryside. Only in the suburban village do they still retain that original scene of the countryside. The countryside below no longer has young people. Only a few elderly, leaning on tall walking sticks, going from the east to the west of the village, and at night, not even dogs bark. Some say that the countryside is aging and stepping towards death. Others say that this is the advancement of the times, and urbanization is the direction of the future... Lin Xiaosu did a round trip in the city outside and returned to the small village, to tell the truth, he quite enjoyed this kind of rural life, but his future path, after all, is not here... Liu Lin Temple was very serene, as tranquil as it always had been. Uncle emerged from inside and, upon seeing Lin Xiaosu, his eyes lit up a bit: “Don’t tell me your Second Aunt is sick again.” Lin Xiaosu gently shook his head: “I mean, Uncle, do you really have to wait for Second Aunt to fall ill before you come home? Even ancient doctors knew prevention is more important than curing.” “What do you mean?” “What I mean is that tonight I’ll take over the night duty for you, and you can go back and keep Second Aunt company.” Uncle looked at him distrustfully: “I have a hard time believing you’ve suddenly become so understanding.” “Should I leave then?” Uncle’s expression animated: “You’ve come all this way, why leave? You’re keeping watch tonight! But...” “But what?” “Tonight happens to be an Ecliptic change day, what are you really up to?” “Alright, alright, I’ll be straight with you. I suspect the reason Hu Ya is so robust is because of the mystical energy during the Ecliptic change day. So, whenever it’s “Ecliptic change day,” I head to the mountain; I also want to try my luck with the energy infiltration.” “That’s more like it!” Uncle’s face bloomed like a chrysanthemum: “That girl’s physical strength is no joke, not something ordinary folks can handle. You’ve got the right idea, kid. Uncle here is quite pleased. Alright, I’ll give you this chance, get yourself a sturdy body to pin her down...” Having expressed his position and reiterated the procedure to Lin Xiaosu, Uncle cheerfully descended the mountain to meet with his cherished Second Aunt on a lover’s bridge. Lin Xiaosu stood on the platform of Liu Lin Temple, touching his nose. Uncle, isn’t your understanding a bit off? I do seek fortune, but I really don’t intend to pin down your girl. Is it hard to pin her down? I’m not going to fight her. Also, I have a secret and I’m not sure if I should share it—I personally feel that your daughter has been playing hard to get with me. If I were to use some minor tactics and some firmer measures, I could muddle things up with you until it’s all unclear... Tonight the moon shone and the stars were sparse; in the hills, the night was adorned with twinkling rhododendrons. A spring has passed, filled with the sounds of birds and insects—perfect for an insect’s romantic liaisons at night. Lin Xiaosu sat on the platform, his Heavenly Tao Wisdom Eye taking in the spring scenery of the mountain, not just the seasonal beauty, but also the metaphorical beauty. For instance, under the platform in the deep pool, he saw two toads mating, their croaking probably the equivalent of human moaning... Raising his gaze, the night seemed non-existent, clear for miles around. He saw the little river west of the village, where Anna appeared on schedule. Her husband must be really hardworking—carrying produce on a pole by day, standing guard with a pole at night while Anna bathed, and probably energetically getting down to business after she finished... Roosters crow, dogs bark, such human scenes unfold, day after day... “Hi!” Along with Hu Ya’s habitual call, signifying Hu Ya’s entrance. Her dad came down the mountain, she went up. Her dad accompanied her mom, and she came to keep Lin Xiaosu company. This seemed to carry a special meaning, thus Hu Ya’s cheeks were a hint blushed. She brought dinner, and it was quite a lavish one, with meat, fish, and also liquor. The meat was genuine cured pork, the fish were small river fish from Yishui River, the vegetables were homegrown, and the liquor was local strong spirits, Chuxiang Spring. Hu Ya kept him company during the meal, drinking with him, and although Lin Xiaosu didn’t drink much, she drank heartily, downing at least eight liangs of the bottle into her belly. Such a capacity for liquor... “Your exams are coming up in a few days, aren’t they?” Hu Ya said. “Mhm, six days!” “Think you can ace it?” “I don’t know, my mom has sought out a lot of backers, I’m not sure if it’ll help.” “Tsh! Isn’t it just asking The Bodhisattva Guanyin for help?” Hu Ya was dismissive: “If that worked, I would have gone to university with you.” “Seriously? You prayed to Buddha too?” “I did not. It was my mom who prayed, dragging your mom along with her. Your mom prayed for you to get into first-tier universities. My mom, not knowing which universities are good or bad, pointed at your mom while making a vow to the Bodhisattva... ‘Let my daughter end up like her son!’ Even the monk next to her burst into laughter...” Lin Xiaosu laughed. Hu Ya was a bit disheartened: “I highly suspect that the Bodhisattva of Qingyuan Temple got it wrong. My mom wanted me to be just like you, but the Bodhisattva probably interpreted it as having the same physical fitness, and strengthened my body vigorously, making me less and less feminine...” “Who says you don’t look like a woman? I think you look very much like one...” Lin Xiaosu caught her hand, pointing here and there: “Like this spot here...” As his finger prodded on, Hu Ya shuddered suddenly. This touch seemed to be rather accurate... The atmosphere in the Taoist Temple turned a tad unusual. Hu Ya rolled her eyes in secret: “Really want to make a move on me, huh?” “It’s just an attempt to correct your thinking, so you stop feeling like you’re not a woman. Purely out of goodwill.” “We’re so familiar, you really have the nerve to make a move?” “Should that be a problem? Your parents are even closer than we are. Why don’t you ask your dad if he feels shy making a move on your mom...” “That kind of makes sense... Shall we give it a try?” Lin Xiaosu got excited... Hu Ya sprang up impulsively: “Oh my gosh, your eyes have turned green. I’m out!” The conversation broke off again, and amidst the casual chat, the moon climbed high. Tonight is April 13, the moon is already quite full, casting its glow over the solar lights of the Taoist Temple, leaving them a bit dimmed.

Chapter 12 - 12 12 April 13 Ecliptic Change Day

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